Five Comic Editorial Departments Participate! Akita Shoten Original Novel Contest Held on Novel Up+ Web Novel Submission Site!!
Hobby Japan, in collaboration with Akita Shoten, is holding the 'Akita Shoten Original Novel Contest' on its web novel submission site 'Novel Up+'. Five comic editorial departments will participate, soliciting plots and novels. Grand Prize winners will receive 300,000 yen and guaranteed serialization.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 20:03
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 12:29 (57 min after Collected)
Hobby Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Daisuke Matsushita) announced on Friday, May 1st, the launch of a special page for the 'Akita Shoten Original Novel Contest' on its web novel submission site 'Novel Up+'. This is a joint project with Akita Shoten, known for publishing comic magazines including 'Champion'.
Contest Overview
Two years after the 'Young Champion Manga Original Novel Contest' held in 2024, this new tie-up project with Akita Shoten is even larger in scale! We are inviting five editorial departments, including the well-known 'Weekly Shonen Champion' and those with works published on the comic site 'Champion Cross', to hold the 'Akita Shoten Manga Original Novel Contest', soliciting plots and novels across a wide range of genres!
A total of five editorial departments and 11 popular labels will participate in the selection process!
Submitted Works
Please refer to the messages and recruitment themes from the participating editorial departments.
This time, Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners will be selected by each editorial department! We have received enthusiastic messages from each participating editorial department, so please read the comments from the editorial departments you are considering applying to and let your imagination soar.
Selection Method and Schedule
▶ Selection Method
Each editorial department will select works based on their content and affinity with the theme.
Participating Editorial Departments
- Weekly Shonen Champion & Champion BUZZ Editorial Department
- Young Champion Editorial Department
- Digital Media Comic Editorial Department
- Princess Bonita Editorial Department
- Elegance Eve Editorial Department
*Please note that the schedule may change depending on the number of applications. Thank you for your understanding.
▶ Schedule
Application Acceptance Starts
May 15, 2026 (Fri) 12:00 - July 14, 2026 (Tue) 23:59
Mid-term Selection Results Announcement
Scheduled for around September-October 2026
Final Selection Results Announcement
Scheduled for January 2027
Awards and Prizes
🏆 Grand Prize
Selected by each editorial department (up to 5 works planned)
Prize money: 300,000 yen
Guaranteed serialization in one of the participating editorial departments' media, Champion Cross, or YanChan Web
🏅 Excellence Award
Selected by each editorial department (number undecided)
Prize money: 50,000 yen
Consideration for serialization in one of the participating editorial departments' media, Champion Cross, or YanChan Web
★ Honorable Mention
Selected by each editorial department (number undecided)
Prize money: 10,000 yen
◆ Check Novel Up+ for more details!
For other details regarding work submissions, please refer to the special page on 'Novel Up+'.
Enthusiastic messages from each editorial department are also posted!
We look forward to your many applications!
- Akita Shoten Original Novel Contest URL
https://novelup.plus/event/akitashoten/
What is Novel Up+?
◆ What is Novel Up+?
Novel Up+ is a web novel submission service operated by Hobby Japan Co., Ltd., which opened in 2019.
There are approximately 92,000 submitted works and over 1,400,000 episodes available!
Its concept is 'a service where all users can support and nurture works.'
Submitted works can be read by anyone, whether a member or not. Members can not only submit works but also support other users' submitted works with comments and stamps. *Membership registration is free.
Check the site & official X (formerly Twitter) account for the latest information!
◆ 'Novel Up+' Site
https://novelup.plus/
◆ 'Novel Up+' Official X Account
https://twitter.com/Novel_Up_plus/
Contest Overview
Two years after the 'Young Champion Manga Original Novel Contest' held in 2024, this new tie-up project with Akita Shoten is even larger in scale! We are inviting five editorial departments, including the well-known 'Weekly Shonen Champion' and those with works published on the comic site 'Champion Cross', to hold the 'Akita Shoten Manga Original Novel Contest', soliciting plots and novels across a wide range of genres!
A total of five editorial departments and 11 popular labels will participate in the selection process!
Submitted Works
Please refer to the messages and recruitment themes from the participating editorial departments.
This time, Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners will be selected by each editorial department! We have received enthusiastic messages from each participating editorial department, so please read the comments from the editorial departments you are considering applying to and let your imagination soar.
Selection Method and Schedule
▶ Selection Method
Each editorial department will select works based on their content and affinity with the theme.
Participating Editorial Departments
- Weekly Shonen Champion & Champion BUZZ Editorial Department
- Young Champion Editorial Department
- Digital Media Comic Editorial Department
- Princess Bonita Editorial Department
- Elegance Eve Editorial Department
*Please note that the schedule may change depending on the number of applications. Thank you for your understanding.
▶ Schedule
Application Acceptance Starts
May 15, 2026 (Fri) 12:00 - July 14, 2026 (Tue) 23:59
Mid-term Selection Results Announcement
Scheduled for around September-October 2026
Final Selection Results Announcement
Scheduled for January 2027
Awards and Prizes
🏆 Grand Prize
Selected by each editorial department (up to 5 works planned)
Prize money: 300,000 yen
Guaranteed serialization in one of the participating editorial departments' media, Champion Cross, or YanChan Web
🏅 Excellence Award
Selected by each editorial department (number undecided)
Prize money: 50,000 yen
Consideration for serialization in one of the participating editorial departments' media, Champion Cross, or YanChan Web
★ Honorable Mention
Selected by each editorial department (number undecided)
Prize money: 10,000 yen
◆ Check Novel Up+ for more details!
For other details regarding work submissions, please refer to the special page on 'Novel Up+'.
Enthusiastic messages from each editorial department are also posted!
We look forward to your many applications!
- Akita Shoten Original Novel Contest URL
https://novelup.plus/event/akitashoten/
What is Novel Up+?
◆ What is Novel Up+?
Novel Up+ is a web novel submission service operated by Hobby Japan Co., Ltd., which opened in 2019.
There are approximately 92,000 submitted works and over 1,400,000 episodes available!
Its concept is 'a service where all users can support and nurture works.'
Submitted works can be read by anyone, whether a member or not. Members can not only submit works but also support other users' submitted works with comments and stamps. *Membership registration is free.
Check the site & official X (formerly Twitter) account for the latest information!
◆ 'Novel Up+' Site
https://novelup.plus/
◆ 'Novel Up+' Official X Account
https://twitter.com/Novel_Up_plus/